“It is looking like one of the biggest fire danger periods we have faced in 10 years, maybe more,” Inspector Jason Wall from the MIA district said.

Identified as a high risk area along with the majority of NSW, this summer Coleambally is set to experience an above normal bushfire threat, according to the Southern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2016 report.

MIA District manager Superintendent Kevin Adams said residents should not be complacent. “Even though it is very wet and green the conditions will become more conducive to the spread of fire, people need to be extremely careful when using fire,” he said. 

With one in three experiencing a natural disaster in their lifetime according to the Red Cross, Superintendent Adams encouraged residents to have a bushfire survival plan so that all members of the household knew what to do on days of increased fire danger or if their home was threatened by fire. 

“We have all seen the devastation that bushfires can bring, so I strongly urge people to contact their local Fire Control Centre and use their expertise to assist in carrying out safe hazard reductions,” he said. 

From October 1 lighting a fire will require a permit in the Carrathool, Griffith, Hay, Leeton, Narrandera and Murrumbidgee LGAs. “Anybody wishing to light a fire on their property during the bushfire danger period will require a permit from their local fire station or fire control centre,” Superintendent Adams said. “However, even with a permit you need to check whether a total fire ban is in place before lighting any fires.”